TRIBUTES have been paid to a ‘much-loved husband, daddy and papa-papa’ who died following a car crash in Stratford town centre.
Ken Churchill was driving a Mini Cooper which was involved in a collision with a Ford Fiesta on Greenhill Street shortly after 1.30pm on Monday.
Ambulance crews arrived to find the 84-year-old in cardiac arrest.
A police officer and GPs from nearby Rother House Surgery were already performing CPR on Mr Churchill and using a public access defibrillator.
He was airlifted to University Hospital in Coventry in a critical condition but later died.
His wife Marg, who was a passenger in the car, was suffering chest pains, and was taken to Warwick Hospital. She was later discharged.
A mother and daughter were in the Ford. The mother, who was driving, suffered a suspected fractured wrist, while her daughter had cuts and bruises. Both were taken to hospital for further treatment.
Mr Churchill was a butcher at H C Lewis in Kineton and lived locally all his life.
His wife, daughter Jacqui, son-in-law Robert, grandchildren Laurie and Jesse and his brother-in-law Michael – as well as his many friends – said he was much-loved and would be sorely missed.
They said he spent many happy times on holiday in Bermuda and would also be remembered for his fond use of the ‘f-word’.
Two air ambulances, two land ambulances, police and firefighters attended the crash and Greenhill Street remained closed into the evening.
Passers-by said they heard a loud bang and saw the two cars at the crossroads next to the former Maison nightclub.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman praised the efforts of the GPs, the police officer and an off duty ambulance service medic for their assistance at the scene.